3-Day Model Trip Day2

Ibaraki & Chiba

From JR Chiba Station, take the bus to Tateyama Station. The nonstop bus takes about 2 hours. The Southern Boso Area, which includes the cities of Tateyama, Minami-Boso and Kamogawa, is known for the earliest arrival of spring in the Tokyo metropolitan district. If you are visiting between January and March, we recommend the flower fields of Chikura and the Shirahama Flower Park where you can pick flowers while looking out over the sea. Along the "Daffodil Road" ("Suisen Kaido") near Iwai Station of the JR Uchibo Line, daffodils are in full bloom around mid-December.

Marine sports are very popular in and around the Tateyama area. Here, you will find facilities suited for family visits such as Kamogawa Sea World. If you have the time, it is worth staying overnight.

Take the JR Uchibo Line to Hamakanaya Station. Hamakanaya is a harbor town facing Tokyo Bay, and has prospered as a ferry port, and for shipping sand and gravel. From the station, it is about 10 minutes' walk to the Nokogiriyama Ropeway.

The name Nokogiri-yama (literally meaning "saw mountain") derives from fact that the rock outline is sharp-edged like the teeth of a saw. Formerly a rock quarry, vast amounts of stone were quarried here, resulting in this rugged appearance today. It is 329.4 meters above sea level.

The ropeway from Nokogiriyama-Sanroku Station (at the mountain base) to Nokogiriyama-Sancho Station (at the summit) is 680 meters long, with a difference in elevation of 223 meters and an angle of 30 degrees, offering breathtaking views. The observatory at the mountaintop offers 360-degree panoramic views, and on a fine day you may be able to see Mt. Fuji across the sea.

On the slopes of the mountain stands Nihon-ji Temple which has a history of more than 600 years, with its impressive, many stone Buddhist images including the Big Buddha (Daibutsu) 31 meters tall, and the Kannon statue 30 meters tall. The observatory of this temple overlooks sheer cliffs, which is why it is known as "Jigoku Nozoki" ("A View of Hell"). Not recommended for those afraid of heights!

After descending from the mountain, treat yourself to fresh sashimi and seafood at a restaurant near Kanaya Port.

From Hamakanaya Station, take the JR line to Sanukimachi Station (15 minutes).

From Sanukimachi Station, take the shuttle bus to Mother Farm which is an animal farm for tourists.

Located on top of Mt. Kano-zan 353 meters high, Mother Farm covers a vast 250 hectares of rolling green. You can try horse-riding and cow-milking, and there is also an amusement park, so both adults and children alike can enjoy an entire day here. In the workshop, you can learn how to make ice cream or jam depending on the season. If time permits, you can even spend the night at the cottage here.

From Sanukimachi Station, once again take the JR Uchibo Line to Kisarazu Station. Kisarazu has been a thriving port town for a very long time. In this town with abundant riches of the sea, you can try fishing, digging clams at the beach, as well as traditional net-fishing. The best season is between March and August. By the Obitsu-gawa river mouth, there is the only tidal flatland of Tokyo Bay, where you can observe rare living creatures.

Nakanoshima Ohashi bridge is an elegant streamlined bridge over the entrance to Kisarazu Port, 236 meters long and 25 meters high, making it the highest pedestrian bridge in Japan and offering views of Mt. Fuji.

Other attractions of this city include Komyo-ji Temple which is famous for the grave of Yosaburo who was the model for the famous Kabuki play, and the location for "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" which is a drama and movie enjoying cult-like popularity. You will spend your second night in the city of Kisarazu.